The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering the Latin America Regional Program grant to conserve biodiversity.

Individuals are not eligible to apply under this Notice of Funding Opportunity. In addition, tuition for individuals and field expenses for projects carried out in support of masters, doctorate degrees, and post-doctorate research are not eligible under this Notice of Funding Opportunity. 
 

The Service works with national governments, U.S. agencies, civil society organizations, and a range of other partners to ensure a results-based approach to wildlife conservation. The Latin America Regional program maintains a strong focus on working with local communities to support rural stability, greater security, and good health for both people and wildlife. For example, efforts that create local support for conserving wildlife by strengthening or creating incentives for communities to be stewards of their biodiversity (e.g. conservation incentive agreements, alternative sustainable livelihood activities, land use stewardship plans, etc.). The Service also supports efforts that decrease the costs of living with wildlife. This includes working with landowners to reduce human-wildlife conflicts that cause damage to human lives and livelihoods and can lead to poaching and/or wildlife trafficking.  
  
Project activities should take place in Latin America in eligible geographies. If work is to be conducted in the United States, the proposal must show a clear impact on biodiversity conservation in Latin America to be eligible. Project activities that emphasize data collection and status assessment should describe a direct link to management action and explain how lack of information has been a key limiting factor for management action in the past. Proposals that do not identify how actions will reduce threats or that do not demonstrate a strong link between data collection and management action will be rejected.  

Please note that local government endorsement is required for all proposals prior to award.  Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with relevant government authorities prior to preparing applications for Service funds.  
  
Due to other grant programs supported by the Service, the Latin America Regional program will not fund projects related to marine turtles and tortoises and freshwater turtles (Marine Turtle Conservation Fund) or neotropical migratory birds (Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Fund).  

Thematic Eligibility 

For all countries, regions and landscapes under the Geographic Eligibility section below, proposed projects should include one or more of the following three themes, 1) Sustainable Resource Use, 2) Wildlife Trafficking, and 3. Human-Wildlife Conflict to conserve priority species and ecosystems by implementing activities that will measurably: (i) curtail the drivers of deforestation and habitat degradation; (ii) strengthen management of protected areas, community forests, and indigenous territories; (iii) foster habitat restoration, (iv) promote alternative livelihoods; (v) reduce impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on conservation goals; (vi) promote climate change adaptation and resilience; and (vii) mitigate threats to key wildlife.

Geographic Eligibility*: 

 Mexico geographic eligibility and species of special concern: 

Northern Mexico: jaguar, ocelot, Mexican gray wolf, Mexican prairie dog, and migratory bat species

Central Mexico: monarch butterfly and migratory bat species 
Mayan Forest (Yucatan peninsula and Greater Lacandon system): jaguar, macaw species, tapir, and peccary 
Western Mexico: jaguar and migratory bat species

Central America geographic eligibility by region and country: 

Maya Forest: Guatemala and Belize
Rio Plátano – Tawahka – Patuca – Bosawas: Honduras and Nicaragua 
Rio Indo Maíz: Nicaragua 
La Amistad:  Costa Rica and Panama 
Darién Gap:  Panama 
Underserved regions needing conservation action: El Salvador 

  
South America geographic eligibility by region and country: 

Gran Chaco:  Eastern Bolivia, western Paraguay, northern Argentina 
Patagonia:  southern Argentina and Chile 
Tropical Andes (including Amazon regions):  Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru 

*Priority will be given to projects from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.